Hijab: After four months, Kwara govt. reopens Oyun Baptist school

The Kwara State Government has announced the reopening of Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, for students to resume academic activities after a four-month closure over the crisis caused by the wearing of Hijab.

It would be recalled that on February 3, the state government shut the school following a crisis between Muslim and Christian parents who stormed the institution to defend their respective faith on the wearing of Hijab by female Muslim students in the school.

But, the Permanent Secretary in the State’s Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs Mary Adeosun, on Wednesday, said the school would reopen from Friday, June 3.

She said the government’s decision to reopen the school is to restore normalcy in the institution.

“The Ministry’s decision to reopen the school is one of the government’s multi-prong approaches to return normalcy to the school,” the statement read.

“Consequently, all teachers and students are directed to return to their classrooms while the government white paper committee continues the efforts to address pending issues related to the recent disturbance in the public school.

“Similarly, the Ministry restates the government’s position that any Muslim schoolgirl who desires to wear the Hijab is allowed to do so in all public schools, including in Oyun Baptist High School Ijagbo, which is owned by the State Government and run with public resources”, the statement added.

Adeosun urged all stakeholders in the area to give peace a chance and to respect the law, warning that “the government will not hesitate to shut the school again, among other things, if anything threatens the safety of the little children”.